BERLIN, November 25. /TASS/. There is a conflict brewing inside the White House, where America’s peace plan for Ukraine has top cabinet members jockeying for influence and a potential presidential bid, Bild reported citing sources.
The two players are Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who are fighting to determine foreign policy and in the future, perhaps even for who will become the next presidential candidate. According to the newspaper, the EU is already aware of this hidden conflict and favors Rubio, known for a tougher stance towards Moscow.
The newspaper said that Vance immediately supported the original plan for Ukraine, while Rubio initially distanced himself from it. "Rubio seems to be increasingly interfering in the Russian policy. Now we see that he is negotiating in Geneva with the Ukrainians and Europeans. All this indicates that he is gaining influence," an American official told Bild. He believes that in the case of Vance, he cares about only "one thing - to become president" and succeed Trump.
Last week Washington put forward a 28-point plan for the Ukrainian settlement, which drew ire from Kiev's partners in Europe.
On November 23, the United States and Ukraine held consultations in Geneva on the plan. Rubio called the meeting the most productive so far. Later Politico citing a source reported that the negotiations had been tense. Ukraine insisted on changing the plan. According to RBC-Ukraine news agency, the US and Ukrainian delegations agreed on most of the plan, but some points were left for discussion at a meeting between Vladimir Zelensky and US President Donald Trump. The date of the meeting has not yet been determined.